Do you dream of winning the National Lottery or the Euromillions jackpot? While these lottery games offer the chance for an instant fortune, the odds are slim. However, some dedicated collectors have discovered more unexpected ways to amass a fortune. Instead of rushing to the newsagent for a lottery ticket, they set out on a thrilling hunt through their local thrift stores and eBay. There, they uncover collectables worth hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds. But these are not your typical coins, stamps, wine, or whisky. These collectables are peculiar but still bring their owners just as much happiness

Soft drinks cans

Your next payday could be lying in a recycling bin. Popular cans include special editions featuring Olympic logos, blockbuster movie characters, and vintage designs. Like coin and bill collectors who pay big bucks for ‘error’ items with incorrect printing, can collectors also seek out error cans. The most sought-after error can for collectors is a brand-new, empty can. You could cash in big if you ever encountered a sealed can without any liquid

Coca-Cola devotes a section of its corporate blog to discussing rare Coke bottles, such as the Hutchinson Bottle, the company’s first bottle, produced in the 1890s

In 2023, the most expensive soft drink can ever listed on eBay was £250,000, while less rare cans are selling for hundreds. A set of three vintage Hi-C Ghostbusters Green Slime cans sold for around £500, and a single vintage can of Dr. Pepper sold for £120

Monopoly

The board game that challenges players to control their impulses to win it all has been a staple of family-friendly entertainment since the early 1900s. However, Many Monopoly players don’t know they can earn real cash, not by playing the game but by collecting the boards themselves. Neil Scallan knows a thing or two about Monopoly board collections. He’s the Guinness World Record holder for Monopoly memorabilia, with a collection of 2,249 items – which means he owns a small fortune

A regular Monopoly board game costs around £20, but luxury editions, made of leather or wood, cost around £300. Vintage and special edition games (from sports teams to Nintendo and Disney characters) are sold for hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds on places like eBay. The most expensive monopoly set designed by artist Sidney Mobell was valued at £1.5 million upon completion. The 23-karat gold game is studded in diamonds, sapphires, and rubies

Rubber Ducks

Many of you may have heard about the shipment of rubber ducks that spilt off an ocean freighter and bobbed around the Pacific Ocean for years and years. Well, that urban legend is accurate, and so is collecting rubber ducks.  Charlotte Lee, the world record holder of duck collections, owns over 9,000. Her collection includes rare and vintage ducks dating to the 1930s. She finds them everywhere: “Grocery stores, art museums, flea markets, antique stores, even book shops…” The most she’s paid for a duck is £120 for a special edition item from Japan – but some are sold for even more. A rare Lufthansa -golden rubber duck has a price tag of £400, and Axe “evil” rubber ducks with devil horns go for around £300

Uranium Glass

Now used primarily as fuel for nuclear reactors, uranium has found a place in the homes of avid collectors who favour unconventional dishware. Uranium was first used to colour glass during the mid-19th century, giving it a luminescent yellow-green colour. Due to a low uranium supply, it fell out of production during World War II and became a rare collector’s item decades later

Part of the allure of uranium glass (also called vaseline, custard, Burmese, or canary glass) is that it glows in the dark. These pieces sell for anywhere from £10 to £10,000, depending on how rare the piece is. A vintage uranium fruit bowl costs around £300 – but don’t put real fruit in it. You can’t drink or eat from uranium products due to the risk of ingesting radioactive materials, but in general, it’s safe to have in your home if you avoid frequent handling and store it correctly. To find uranium glass pieces, look for yellow-green glass that glows under UV light

McDonald’s Toys

Many of us have fond memories of opening a McDonald’s Happy Meal to find an exciting new toy. In 2021, the franchise discontinued including plastic miniatures in meals, so McDonald’s toys have become nostalgic collector’s items. Even seemingly basic toys, such as 1980s Happy Meal Hot Wheels cars, sell for £70 a pop in their original packaging

Toys from the 2000s are valuable, too. Happy Meal Furbies from this era are valued at over £100 each. If you’re holding on to any Fraggle Rock toys from the 1990s, it might be time to turn them into cash – they’re valued at over £350 each. The most expensive individual Happy Meal toys are 1970s Robots and Underwater Monsters by Diener Keshi, valued at £600 each. You could amass a small fortune if you had an entire collection in mint condition

Happy collecting!